Spring-wheel.



G. O. CLARK.

SPRING WHEEL.

APPLICATION r1121) MAR.10, 1911.

Patented Nov. 12, 1912.

wees-e5 COLUMBIA PLANOnRAPl-l 60-. WASHINGTON. B4 c.

GEORGE 0. CLARK, 0F OLA, SOUTH DAKOTA.

SPRING-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 10, 1911.

Patented Nov. 12, 1912.

Serial No. 613,598.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE O. CLARK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ola, county of Brule, and State of South Dakota, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-VVheels, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to spring wheels.

The present invention has for its object the provision of a springwheel, provided with either a cushion, pneumatic or metal or other tire,of novel construction, few parts, strong and durable, in which bucklingfrom lateral thrusts or strains will be obviated, and wherein the springtension may be readily adjusted.

The invention is set forth fully hereinafter and the novel features arerecited in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a side elevation with certainparts broken away; Fig. 2, a section on line 22, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3, anenlarged section on line 3-3, Fig. 1.

The central part of the wheel is composed of plates 1 and 2, providedwith radial arms 3 and connected by bolts 4, a suitable hub 5,

secured to the plates 1 and 2 by bolts 6, be

ing provided for the reception of the axle. Other forms of hub than thatshown may be used without departing from my invention.

A disk 7 having inwardly, radially projecting members 8 lying betweenthe members or arms 3, constitutes the movable part of the wheel whichcarries, in any suitable manner, a felly 9 and a tire 10, the form ortype of the latter being immaterial, and this tire may be pneumatic,cushion, metal, or otherwise. The felly 9 may be connected to the part 7in any preferred manner.

The members or arms 8 are provided with round holes 11 and the arms 3are cross-connected by bolts 12 which pass through the holes (Fig. 3),whereby the outer part 7 of the wheel may move in relation to the innerpart composed of the plates 1 and 2.

Pivoted on the bolts 4 are the flattened shanks 13 of the spring cups orsockets 14, the shoulders 15 on the cups overlapping but free of theperiphery of the plates 1 and 2, whereby they are free to swing on bolts4. Rods 16 disposed in the openings 17 between the arms or members 8,have one end loosely received in a cup 14 and the other end fiattened at18 and pivotally secured by a bolt 19 to the member 7. Loose on the rod16 is a spring cup 20, and the rod is screw-threaded for a suitabledistance at 21 and has a nut 22 by which the cup 20 may be adjustedinwardly. Coil springs surrounding each rod 16, have ends received inthe cups 14 and 20, whereby the outer part 7 and the felly and tire areresiliently supported on the central part of the wheel. By preference, Iprovide a heavy coil spring 23 disposed nearest the central part of thewheel and a lighter coil spring 24 disposed beyond the same toward thetire, the respective springs being seated in the cups 14 and 20 and ahead 25 being interposed between them and loose on the rod 16, in eachinstance.

By adjusting the nuts 22, the tension of the springs on the rod 16 maybe regulated as desired. Ordinarily, the relatively light springs 24yield and absorb the shock of the wheel striking any obstacle and alsoyieldingly support the weight which the wheel sustains, but when anunusually heavy weight is sustained or the impact is greater than usualon striking an obstacle, the relatively heavy springs 23 also yield, andthus while the tension of these springs 23 is normally such that they donot appreciably yield, the lighter springs 24 ordinarily serving thatpurpose, yet the said springs 23 constitute a reserve resiliency, as itwere, so that all weights and shocks to which the wheel is subject areresiliently compensated.

At all times the parts 8 of the wheel are reinforced and guided byreason of their association with the spaced arms 1 and 2, and thus alllateral strains and stresses are compensated for and any tendency tobuckle is obviated.

The holes 11 are made sufliciently large to permit all necessaryrelative up and down and forward and rearward movements of the outer andinner parts of the wheel.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

In a spring wheel, the combination with an inner member having radialarms arranged in spaced parallel pairs, of an outer member, a tire ortread carried thereby, said outer member being provided with flatsections which are slidably received in the spaces between the pairs ofradial arms aforesaid and have openings, members crossconnecting thepairs of radial arms and loosely passing through the openings aforesaid,sliding rods pivoted to the outer memother and adjustable devices onsaid rods for 10 her and also plvotally connected to the innerregulating and malntainlng the tension of member at the hub thereof,springs man said springs.

cling said rods and exerting pressure be- In testimony whereof, Ihereunto affix my tween the inner and outer members, said signature inpresence of two witnesses. rods and springs lying in the spaces betweenGEORGE O. CLARK. conseeutive'pairs of arms and being adapted WVitnesses:

to play therein as the inner and outer mem- GEORGE G. MCDONALD,

bers move peripherally in relation to each iVILsoN F. BARTLETT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C.

